[Wolfpack]

I installed a bait pump thru hull and a salt water washdown thru hull (actually they were already in place, I had to rotate them 180 degrees, so while they wre out I replaced them with new ones). The question is do I need to run ground wires to teh bronze thru hulls? The guy at west marine said no, that the latest is not to run them since they do not connect to anything metal. But the bait pumps have a metal shaft...? According to the person who works at west marine grounding them could create more of a problem.... Any comments?

This post edited by Wolfpack 05/18/2008

 

[reddog]

First thing IMO I would not use info from WM as even a second opinion. I have been to at least 10 different WMs on the west coast have seen no reason to do otherwise. The idea to isolate underwater metal is certainly not new.

That said need some background on your rig. Does it live in the water? Does it have through hulls that are already bonded and/or a bonding plate on the transom? Inboard with shaft? If the answer to all those questions are no then you can likely get away without bonding the thru hulls. Note that bonding is a different animal than grounding.

Note that some pumps like Rules sometimes have a problem with corroded pump shafts. Has nothing to do with bonding. Always use quality thru hull valves and double clamp any hoses.

 

[Wolfpack]

Ok, background on the boat, its in the water all the time, and it does have thru hulls that are bonded, the inlets for the engines, there is a bonding plate on the transom, they are inboards with shafts.

I said ground wires, but I do mean bonding to a zinc. Hope this helps, and looking forward to your reply. thanks

 

[aloharob]

2 seperate marine electrician's recommended that I bond all my throughulls on my old boat. On my current boat, the factory bonded all of the stock throughhulls (Cabo Yachts). So, I have bonded anything I've added since from bait pumps to underwater lights.

 

[Wils]

I installed a bait pump thru hull and a salt water washdown thru hull (actually they were already in place, I had to rotate them 180 degrees, so while they wre out I replaced them with new ones).

what are the new thru-hulls made of?

 

[reddog]

They should be added to the bonding loop. It would be a good time to check the connections on the bonding system.

 

[first_watch]

Agreed....

 

[TAURUS]

if it's made of high quality bronze, you don't need to bond it

 

[DockRat]

if it's made of high quality bronze, you don't need to bond it

That's what they say about the AirMar transducer.
I have a brass bait line pickup without a bond also ?
I figure by the time it needs replaceing I'll be repainting
the bottom anyway ? :tu: :td: :?
DR

 

[aloharob]

Taurus - you know MUCH more about this stuff than I do. I'm not all that mechanically (or electrically) inclined anyways. But, there's no downside to bonding it anyways, is there? Other than the time/cost to do it I mean.

 

[Wolfpack]

They are Bronze, hopefully high quality, I had the shipyard put them in for me this time. 1" on the bait pump, and 1/2 inch for the salt water wash down.

 

[Wils]

They are Bronze, hopefully high quality, I had the shipyard put them in for me this time. 1" on the bait pump, and 1/2 inch for the salt water wash down.

What did the boatyard say about it?

 

[TAURUS]

Taurus - you know MUCH more about this stuff than I do. I'm not all that mechanically (or electrically) inclined anyways. But, there's no downside to bonding it anyways, is there? Other than the time/cost to do it I mean.

actually from what i know, you can transfer problems from an inferior thruhull to a superior one by bonding the whole system....i have to say from experience , what's the point of bonding a thruhull made of quality bronze?..all modern transdusers are made of noble metals...high quality silicon bronze is availible for any thruhull application...i don't see any point in bonding transdusers or water thruhulls ...i'd only bond anything connected to the engine

This post edited by TAURUS 05/20/2008

 

[Wolfpack]

They are Bronze, hopefully high quality, I had the shipyard put them in for me this time. 1" on the bait pump, and 1/2 inch for the salt water wash down.

What did the boatyard say about it?

Well, I did not really want to get into it, but since you asked... I don't really think I trust Colonial in san pedro to give me a good answer. Years ago when I was a kid we hauled out there. But I bought this boat in san pedro and hulled it for survey there (the broker set up the hull out place since I was out of town). When it came time to pay the bill I found out that they overcharge compared to long beach or HB. But they said they would give me a free hull out it I took the boat out to fix or paint within 30 days. The story gets worse.... So I did this and asked them to do some work, and also align ONE engine. The bill for aligning one engine was 18 hours * 90 dollars an hour = 1620 dollars. They told me that their "mechanic" was filing out a slot on the mount. I told him to jack the motor and pull the mount to slot it. The guy went off on me big time, was yelling at me over the phone, and told me that "to get the mount out he had to jack the engine 2 inches in the air and he did not want to disconect the exhaust." Then he was going off on me about how "the factory screws everything up and it all ends up in his lap." The exhaust is only connected by a hose clamp to a rubber hose. Anyway, live an learn... I figure I will just spread the word. I should have known better, LB and HB had a one week wait to hull out, and Colonial was slow and could hull out immediately. The owner was complaining about how slow it was. Now I know why. I would have thought the ship yards in pedro / wilminton would be honest, but I think they were just trying to get their free hull out money back, and then some. OK, I am going to go get some cheese to eat with my whine....

This post edited by Wolfpack 05/21/2008

 

[reddog]

Another satisfied customer! Some swear by them. I am not one of them. I used to live there and have seen it happen too many times.

 

[Wils]

Well, I did not really want to get into it, but since you asked... I don't really think I trust Colonial in san pedro to give me a good answer.

they replaced your thru-hulls and aligned your motor. I think that you had better either trust them....or put your insurance agent and vesselassist on "speed-dial".

 

[Wolfpack]

VA on speed dial is a great idea, the insurance agent I can call when I get back to the mainland on the whaler, lol

 

[DockRat]

[ Colonial in san pedro So I did this and asked them to do some work, and also align ONE engine. The bill for aligning one engine was 18 hours * 90 dollars an hour = 1620 dollars. They told me that their "mechanic" was filing out a slot on the mount. I told him to jack the motor and pull the mount to slot it. The guy went off on me big time, was yelling at me over the phone, and told me that "to get the mount out he had to jack the engine 2 inches in the air and he did not want to disconect the exhaust." Then he was going off on me about how "the factory screws everything up and it all ends up in his lap." ....

Are you talking about Colonial in Wilmington? Down by the Drawbridge? It's about 5 miles from San Pedro 1/2 mile to Long Beach. Yells at you on the phone ? Great Customer Service Kook :td::Those Ding Dongs have to learn that thier actions will cost them. Thanks for telling about your BAD experience with Colonial. Try Don at Cabrillo Boat Shop in LB near Pier 55 and Matson. DR

This post edited by DockRat 05/23/2008

 

[Wolfpack]

yup, Colonial in wilminton, by the Henry Ford draw bridge, that is the one. I was going to go by the chowder barge in leward bay, havn't been there for a few years. When I was a kid the chowder barge was elsewhere and my parents had a boat at leaward bay. We used to call it body bay because body's would wash down the river mostly with their hands tied behind their back, and maybe a bag over their head. There was a 12 year waiting list to get to long beach marina. I remember I used to row a lot, and I found someones glasses case floating and I took it back the the marina, only when the adults opened it up it was not case for anyones glasses, it was a warming spoon and needles, etc. I remember the day our name came up, there was an oil spill and body bay was surrounded by oil booms, its was pooring rain, really ugly. Huge current. We wanted out so bad we ran a line to the boom, tied it to the dock, seperated the boom and off to long beach we went. We were not going to stay one more day there. That was a while back, 30+ years I would think The chowder barge has moved and last time I was there its at body bay now. Awesome chowder. Ok, before I get off memory lane, there was one more story, at body bay there was a little kid named Hugo and he kept telling everyone there was a shark in the water behind the snack bar (3-10 feet of water depending on the tide. No one would go look, so I did (I was just a kid) it was a huge fish to me so I told everyone, and I ran and got a gaff. When I came back it was gone, but then the fish came back. My much older cousin sunk the gaf into the fish and it was too big, someone else hit it with a second gaff, they got it out of the water and it was flopping like crazy on the dock. We had our share of rocket scientists at this marina and one shot the fish several times in the head with a hand gun. Pretty funny. Well even after they talked the drunk into putting his hand gun down, the fish continued to flop for a long while. I remember someone saying it was a big eye tuna (I can't be sure of this), and of course the usual statement that it was sick or lost. The local paper came down and the guys at the dock told them that the little kid Hugo sank the first gaff. So they printed that in the local paper. Pretty Funny.

This post edited by Wolfpack 05/23/2008